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Support from the Department

Financial support for graduate students may be available, most commonly in the form of a teaching assistantships.

For students in one of the Ph.D. programs, research assistantships (RA) may be available from faculty members. If funding permits, the Department awards a one-half research assistantship (coupled with a one-half teaching assistantship) to students who are in the spring of their final year to allow them to focus on their thesis.

Special university scholarships – Crandall-Cordero and Giolas-Harriott Fellowships; these are awarded as a supplement to a teaching or research assistantship.

Both half-time and full-time TAs receive a tuition waiver and the right to purchase an excellent highly subsidized health insurance plan. For particulars, check the Human Resources Website.

Submitting scores from the GRE General Test is highly recommended for applicants for financial aid.

Support from the Q Center

The Q Center has a limited number of teaching assistantships available.

About Teaching Assistantships

All students obtaining a teaching assistantships are expected to take the math department pedagogy course during the first fall semester of the student’s enrollment into the program.

The department offers a broad range of teaching experiences to its TAs. After an initial period of teaching lower division and service courses, qualified students may choose to teach an upper-division course. The teaching assistant experience is unique in the sense that, unlike in most departments, a grad student effectively lectures a course, rather than limiting himself or herself to grading and monitoring discussion sections. This experience has proven to be a very valuable asset during the job search after graduation.

Technology is incorporated into many courses. Group learning experiences are also stressed.

Intersession and Summer Support

Some opportunities for teaching during the Summer Session and Winter Intersession are also available, and provide additional financial assistance. Graduate students can also work for programs outside the department of mathematics:

CAP is a summer program to encourage incoming freshmen. A preliminary selection of instructors and tutors is done through the Department of Mathematics.

In addition, some faculty research grants have funds to support research assistants during summer. Usually, those are given to students in the Mathematics Ph.D. Program.

Continuing Support

The Department will do its best, within its available resources, to continue to support all students who were admitted into one of the Ph.D. programs as a teaching assistants, as long as they remain in good standing, for a period of five years. Support beyond five years as teaching assistants will be considered on a case-by-case basis. As resources permit, the Department will also attempt to support as teaching assistants those students who were not admitted as teaching assistants but attain good standing through the passing of the preliminary examinations.

Pay Scales

The exact amounts can be found on the Graduate Payroll
information sheet. The three levels of pay are

(B) Beginners

(M) Masters : For those entering prior to Fall 2017, this level you attain after you have successfully completed 24 credits of approved coursework with a grade of C or higher (not counting the pedagogy seminar). For those entering Fall 2017 and later, you must have successfully completed 30 credits of approved coursework with a grade of C or higher. Students entering the program with a relevant masters degree can apply to the Department of Mathematics to be paid at master’s level .

(P) Ph.D. : This level is given after all prelims and the Oral Exam have been successfully completed.